Russia - Climate

Photo by: Valeriy Lukyanov

Most of the country has a continental climate, with long, cold winters
and brief summers. There is a wide range of summer and winter
temperatures and relatively low precipitation. January temperatures are
in the range of 6°
C
(45 °
F
) on the southeastern shore of the Black Sea. A record low temperature
of -71°
C
(-96 °
F
) was recorded in 1974 at the northeast Siberian village of Oymyakon,
the lowest temperature ever recorded anywhere in the world for an
inhabited region. In many areas of Siberia the soil never thaws for more
than a foot.

Annual precipitation decreases from about 64–76 cm (25–30
in) in the European region to less than 5 cm (2 in) a year in parts of
Central Asia. The tundra has long winters, with summers lasting one or
two months, and receives from 8 to 12 months of snow or rain. The far
northern forest, like most of the country, has long severe winters,
short summers, and extremely short springs and autumns. Precipitation is
low but falls throughout the year, varying from 53 cm (21 in) at Moscow
to between 20 and 25 cm (8–10 in) in eastern Siberia. The steppes
have very cold winters and hot, dry summers.